Overview

In 7 Wonders: Duel, your aim is to make your ancient civilization thrive over three rounds by acquiring resources, building different types of constructions, and building your Wonders. However, you're doing this along with another player who has access to the same resources and buildings you do. Over the course of each round, you'll be acquiring money and points from the different cards played or other actions. Alternatively, you can build up a military to conquer your opponent, or progress on technology to the point that you're just too amazing of a civilization.

There are three ways to win this game: 1. Advance the military token all the way to the opponent's edge of the board 2. Collect any six different science symbols 3. Have the most points at the end of the 3rd round

Game Anatomy

At any given moment, each player has:

• 4 Wonders. These can be built by tucking a card underneath them for the bonuses printed on them. These are shown on the left side of your board.
• Money. Some cards or Wonders give you money, but this is more commonly earned by discarding cards. Money can be spent to buy cards, or to buy resources you don't already have access to. This is shown on the right side of your player board.
• Points. These are simply the sum of all points earned from cards. The player with the most points wins the game (unless an alternate victory condition is achieved). This is shown on the right side of your player board.

Between both players is the available "market" of cards. Any cards not covered by any other card can be collected or purchased for the listed price. The shape of this board is different in each round.

Game Setup and Preparation

Each player starts the game with 7 coins.

5 Progress tokens are dealt onto the board.

Each player also starts with 4 potential Wonders, chosen as follows:

• Deal out 4 random Wonders.
• The starting player selects one of the Wonders.
• The other player then selects two of the remaining Wonders.
• The starting player automatically gets the remaining Wonder.
• Then deal out 4 random Wonders and repeat the above process, except the other player starts that round.

Finally, deal out the Age I cards in the pattern described.

The starting player goes first.

What To Do On Your Turn

During your turn, select one of the cards on the board to claim, then choose what to do with it:

• Play the card as normal. This is the most common choice. Doing this will simply give you the benefits of the card. The types of cards and what they do are explained further into these instructions.
• Use the card to build your Wonder. Tuck the card underneath one of your Wonders. It does not matter which card is tucked for this; as long as any card is used for this, the Wonder is considered complete. You do need to be able to pay the resource cost of the Wonder or have enough money to make up the difference. Only 7 Wonders can be completed during the entire course of the game; once the 7th has been built, the 8th and final Wonder is removed from play and can't be built.
• Discard the card for money. You gain 2 coins plus 1 coin for each yellow card you already have. It does not matter which card is discarded for this; all cards are worth the same amount of money when discarded this way.

After you have completed this, it's now your opponent's turn.

Buying Cards

Most cards have a purchase price, shown on the top left of the card, involving resources or money. To buy a card, you must have the available resources for it. However, if you do not have the required resources, you may buy them from the bank. For each missing resource, pay 2 coins, plus 1 extra coin for each of that resource your opponent has.

Alternatively, some cards have an alternate cost using a previously claimed card. Cards that can take advantage of a chain build later in the game have a symbol printed on the top right, and cards that can be purchased this way have the matching symbol underneath their normal, resource-based cost. If you have the appropriate card, you can buy the new card for free!

Types of Cards

Players can gain the following types of cards:

Resource Cards

Brown and gray cards are resources. There are five types of resources; wood, brick, stone (all of which are brown), glass, and paper (which are gray). These resources are required in order to build certain cards or Wonders. If you do not have a particular resource, you can instead pay 2 coins, plus 1 coin for each resource held by your opponent (this money goes to the bank, not to your opponent). Resource cards are never used up - as long as you have the card, you may use the resources on any subsequent turns.

Unlike other cards, Resource Cards appear in Age I and II, but not at all during Age III.

Commerce Cards

Yellow cards are commerce cards, and usually have something to do with money. They may allow for altered costs to buy resources, or to instantly gain money. Additionally, for each yellow card you have, you gain 1 extra coin each time you discard a card.

Victory Cards

Blue cards are victory cards, and are simply worth points at the end of the game.

Science Cards

Green cards are science cards. These are frequently (but not always) worth points, but more importantly, have one of six different scientific instruments on them. If you ever collect one copy of all six symbols, you automatically win the game!

Additionally, if you get two cards with the same symbol, you also immediately get one of the Progress tokens. There are five Progress tokens dealt at the start of the game, which either give you some sort of bonus or extra effect.

Military Cards

Red cards are military cards. These show some number of sword and shields along the top. When you get one, for each of these sword and shields, advance the military token one step towards your opponent. If it moves into a space next to a penalty symbol, your opponent loses money.

If you ever advance the military token to the edge closest to your opponent, you've conquered their civilization and automatically win the game! However, if the game ends before this happens, one player will gain points based on its position.

Guild Cards

Purple cards are guild cards. These are worth money and points based on how many of a particular card type or other quality have been built. The money from this is awarded immediately, but the points are only awarded at the end of the game (and consequently do not show up on your point total).

Unlike other cards, these cards only show up in Age III.

End Of An Age

An age ends when either player takes the last card from the board. A new set of cards is dealt out in a predefined pattern.

The player closest to the Military token (that is, the player most in danger of being conquered) chooses which player starts the next round. If the Military token is in the middle, then the last active player (the person who finished the previous age) chooses who starts the next round.

End Of The Game

The game can end automatically if either player conquers the other, or gets enough scientific symbols. But if neither of those conditions are met, then the game ends at the end of Age III.

Players earn points from their points on cards (including guilds), Wonders, the final position of the Military token, and leftover money (3 coins converts to 1 point). The player with the most points wins!